Cheltenham Town have earmarked Linfield manager David Healy as the man they want to take over as their next boss, according to a report by The 72.
Healy, a former Leeds United striker, has been in charge at the Belfast club since 2015 and has claimed five Northern Ireland Premiership titles plus two Northern Irish Cups during his tenure.
The last title triumph came in the 2021-22 season and the club have since found themselves playing catch-up to Larne, who have captured successive titles since.
That hasn’t stopped interest from growing in the 95-cap Northern Ireland international, with Cheltenham reportedly being joined by fellow League Two outfit Morecambe in having an interest in the former striker.
The Robins will be playing League Two football again after three seasons in League One. Manager Darrell Clarke has left the club to join Barnsley leaving the club in search of their third permanent boss in under a year.
Morecambe is in the hunt for Healy after Ged Brennan left his role as manager to join Accrington Stanley as assistant to John Dolan. The Shrimps managed a 15th-place finish in League Two despite points deductions and wages being paid late.
Healy is an experienced manager, with just shy of 400 games under his belt that has seen 250 victories on his way to seven trophies. The former striker, who is his nation’s highest-ever scorer with 36 goals, has taken charge of The Blues in over 30 matches in UEFA competitions, winning on 11 of those occasions.
Writer’s View
Taking either one of these jobs would be a challenge for Healy, with Cheltenham licking their wounds from relegation and Morecambe in desperate need of a takeover.
Despite the issues facing both clubs, perhaps Healy feels he has taken Linfield as far as he can and that a new challenge is required. Is a crack at the Football League his next step?
If both clubs approached the former Preston North End man, it would be hard to bet against Cheltenham being the preferred destination due to the club appearing more settled behind the scenes.
Irish players are much sought-after by English clubs, so why not hand the reins to an Irish manager? Healy has managed a lot of games and could possibly be working with a larger budget than that of his current title challengers.
A primary school teacher turned writer, Tom has been part of The Real EFL for two years. He focuses on predictions, deep dives, and insightful content.
